About Us
The MA & RI Poison Center is a not-for-profit organization that provides assistance and expertise in the medical diagnosis, management, and prevention of poisonings involving the people of Massachusetts and Rhode Island.
In addition to serving the public by staffing the Poison Help Hotline 24 hours a day, seven days a week, our staff of doctors, nurses, and pharmacists work to educate the public, collaborate with other professionals, and to extend the reach of our poison prevention message.
The center manages more than 46,000 phone calls annually. Exposure calls originate primarily from residences, with other important calls coming from health care facilities and medical professionals. Our annual reports explore call origins and results in depth.
The MA & RI Poison Center is aided in its efforts to serve the public and professionals of Massachusetts and Rhode Island by its advisory committee.
Mission
The mission of the MA & RI Poison Center is to provide assistance and expertise in the medical diagnosis, management, and prevention of poisonings involving the people of Massachusetts and Rhode Island. The center maintains a standard of excellence in both clinical research and professional development of health care professions, thus continually improving the quality of medical care given to patients throughout the healthcare system.
Services
We are a nationally certified center providing the highest quality medical assistance, training, research, and education to the citizens of Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Our center is staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week by poison specialists: doctors, licensed nurses, and pharmacists trained in medical toxicology. Services:
- emergency hotline for public
- Telephone Consult Service for Health Care Facilities
- Boston Children’s Hospital’s In-Patient Toxicology Service
- Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center Consult Toxicology Service
- Harvard Medical Toxicology Fellowship
- Public Education and Outreach
- Professional Education
- Data Analysis
- Clinical Research
We provide expert consultations to the public, health educators and health care providers including immediate information about:
- Hazardous materials
- Drugs/substances of abuse
- Emergency care & treatment
- Location of unusual lab assays
- Location of regional antidotes
- Chemicals/commercial products and biologicals
- Education seminars on toxicology and poisoning prevention
- Educational resources and materials
- Expert consultations for more complex poisoning cases
- Patient referral resource
Follow-Up Service – (Mandatory for a certified center):
- All calls from health care providers are followed up within 4 hours after the original call to offer further assistance
- All calls from health care providers are then followed every 24 hours until the patient is improved, or the case is closed
By calling 1-800-222-1222, Massachusetts and Rhode Island residents are immediately connected to the MA & RI Poison Center. Specially trained staff members respond 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to questions and concerns about poisonings. Poison experts at the Center respond to poison emergencies and answer poison-related questions about medications, household products, and other potentially dangerous substances. Callers are referred to the appropriate health care providers or the emergency department when needed. The Center also works closely with physicians and emergency room staff to diagnose poisonings and treat people who have been poisoned and works to provide educational material to the public and to educators.